Presiding judge Mahmoud Kamel El-Rashidi on Saturday announced that proceedings in the retrial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, his two sons, former interior minister Habib El-Adly, and six of the latter's top aides would be postponed until 8 June to allow the court to review some 55,000 pages of documentation.

In Saturday's session, the defendants denied all charges.

Mubarak, his two sons, El-Adly, and six of the latter's top aides were present at the Police Academy in the capital's New Cairo district on Saturday morning where they face retrial for a handful of charges, Egyptian state news agency MENA has reported.

Mubarak, who received a life sentence in June 2012 for failing to protect unarmed anti-regime protesters during Egypt's 18-day popular uprising in early 2011, was granted a retrial in January due to procedural irregularities in the initial trial.

The defendants have been charged in three separate cases: the killing of protesters during the uprising, illicit gains, and exporting natural gas to Israel at below-market prices.

Judge El-Rashidi adjourned the initial proceedings for half an hour on Saturday to hear requests by both legal teams.

El-Rashidibegan proceedings by calling upon the plaintiffs' lawyers to maintain calm in the courtroom and prepare their requests.

Ahmed El-Damaty, deputy head of the Egyptian Lawyer's Union, complained against the treatment that he claims the plaintiffs' lawyers received, saying that the "defendants' lawyers enter [Police Academy grounds] in private cars, while [plaintiffs' lawyers] had to stand on foot, arguing with security to allow them in."

El-Rashidi called upon the lawyers of the more than 1700 plaintiffs to register with the court to facilitate access procedures.

According to MENA, the number of people standing outside the academy on Saturday was lower than in previous trial sessions. Security forces have separated the former president's supporters from the families of protesters slain during the uprising.

In April, Judge Mustafa Hassan Abdullah, who had been presiding over the retrial, recused himself from the case and referred it to the Cairo Appeal Court.

Judge Mahmoud Kamel El-Rashidi was chosen to preside over the trial instead.

A court had earlier ordered Mubarak's release pending retrial, but he remains in detention for two separate corruption charges.

A Cairo court on Sunday upheld a 15-day detention order against Mubarak, which he had appealed, in relation to a corruption case brought against him by the Illicit Gains Authority. Both his sons, Alaa and Gamal, are on trial with him in the case.

The 84-year-old former president is also being held for another corruption case in which he faces charges of illegally acquiring state funds allocated to the renovation of presidential palaces.

Mubarak is currently in Tora Prison Hospital in Cairo after Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah ordered his transfer there from Maadi Military Hospital.

Ahram Online welcomes readers' comments on all issues covered by the site, along with any criticisms and/or corrections. Readers are asked to limit their feedback to a maximum of 1000 characters (roughly 200 words). All comments/criticisms will, however, be subject to the following code

We will not publish comments which contain rude or abusive language, libelous statements,
slander and personal attacks against any person/s.

We will not publish comments which contain racist remarks or any kind of racial
or religious incitement against any group of people, in Egypt or outside it.

We welcome criticism of our reports and articles but we will not publish personal
attacks, slander or fabrications directed against our reporters and contributing
writers.

We reserve the right to correct, when at all possible, obvious errors in spelling
and grammar. However, due to time and staffing constraints such corrections will
not be made across the board or on a regular basis.

Please Wait

1

Tom

11-05-2013 04:54pm

0-

3+

Feel sorry for Muslim Brotherhood

I am really saddned by the nonsense revengful policy of muslim Brotherhood. First, They should apprecitae Mobark for not massacring his own people as is happening in Syria. in my view, they should release Mobark and actually refer to him as a national hero. second, instead of helping their brothers in syria who are being murdered, this Mulism brotherhood led government is busy with policy of revenge at home and flattering islamic regime in iran in order to get some money. what a shame. Egypt is supposed to be the leader of arab nation. it has so far done nothing for syrian people. it is busy huging islamic leaders in iran. third, this Muslim brotherhood-led government is also naive since it believes iran can bring peace to syria. what a joke